Trestle.



Patented June 26, I900. A. J. LAURENT.

TRESTLE.

(Application filed Apr.

(No Model.)

i NITED STATES PATENT Enron.

ANDREIV J. LAURENT, OF INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRESTLE.

sPEoIFIoATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,517, datedJune 26, 1900. Application filed April 18, 1900. Serial No. 13,372. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW J. LAURENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indiana, in the county of Indiana and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trestles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to trestles for use in connection with scaffolds, the purpose being the provision of a device of this character adjustable in height and length and involving a simple and novel construction and capable of being reduced to a knockdown condition and packed in a small space and easily set up when required for use.

The improvement will be more fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trestle embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a standard, the parts being separated. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a modification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The trestle comprises a horizontal portion and vertical standards, the parts being relatively adjustable with reference to length and height, so as to adapt the device to rooms of different dimensions. The horizontal portion is composed of sections or beams 1, having their inner portions overlapped and constructed to slide upon each other to admit of the efiective'length of the parts being varied. Vertical notches 2 are formed in theouter sides of the sections 1 a short distance from their extremities to form seats to receive the upper ends of the standards. Bands 3'encircle the overlapped parts of the sections remote from the notched ends. The sections 1 may be of any length, width, and thickness, according to the capacity and strength of the trestle, and are preferably constructed of wood for the sake of lightness and cheapness.

The legs are composed of upper bars 4,

upper members 4 has its upper end portion cut away upon one side, as shown at 7, to

form a shoulder 8, which is adapted to underlap the lower edge of the section 1, the portion above said shoulder entering the notch 2 and secured therein by a fastening consisting of a bolt and thumb-nut. By having the shoulder 8 come beneath the section 1 the load is removed in a great measure from the fastening 9, and the latter may be comparativelylight, since its sole purpose is to hold the parts 1 and ;4 together. The members 4 and 5 overlap at one end and are adapted to slide one upon the other to admit of the lengthening and shortening of the lugs as may be required to bring the trestle to the required height. The overlapped portions of the members 4 and 5 are held together by bands 3, which are secured, respectively, to the end portions of said members. Securing means cooperate with a set of bands to hold the members 4 and 5 in an adjusted position againstpossible displacement, and said means consist of clampscrews 10 and nuts 11, the latter being let into the membercarrying the clam p-screw, so as to come flush with the inner side thereof. The inner end of each of the clamp-screws 10 is pointed so as to penetrate the side of the adjacent member and prevent possible displacement of the members when positioned. The nuts may be secured in the seats provided in the members in any desired manner, either by friction or positively,the latter construction being preferred, and this result is attained by passing screws 12 or like fastenings through a side of the band 3 apertured to receive the clamp-screw, and entering threaded openings in the nut 11.

The base-pieces (Shave vertical channels 13 in one of their sides intermediate their ends to receive the lower end portions of the members 5, which ends are cut away, as shown at 14, forming shoulders 15 to overlap the top edge of the part 6 and sustain the Weight of the trestle and the load imposed thereon. Fastenings 16 connect the parts 5 and 6 and are similar in construction to the fastenings 9, so as to admit of the ready dismemberment of the parts when it is required to reduce the trestle to a compact form for storing in the smallest space possible. By

having the lower end portions of the mem admit of the parts being quickly separated" for any desired purpose and easily set up when the trestle is required for service. The 10 seating of the matching portions results in a rigid structure, and the shoulders formed at the basis of thecut-away end portions of the upright parts relieve the fastenings of a major part of the weight and strain which is of r 5 material advantage, as will be readily comprehended.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat is-claime-d as new is A portable, knockdown and adjustable 2o trestle-comprising base-pieces having vertilower members overlapped, the lower membase-pieces and the upper members havingv their end portions cut away t'oifor'm shoulders, horizontal sections overlapped and having vertical notches in their end portions to receive the cut-away ends of the aforesaid upper members, the shoulders of the latter "underla'pping' said sections, fastenings detachably connecting the ends of the said members, respectively to the base-pieces and horizontal sections,bands encircling the overlapped portions of the sections and members secured to the terminal portions of the respecive parts, and securing means applied to one of the bands encircling the aforesaid members and consisting of clamp-screws and nuts, the latter being embedded in the members carrying the clamp screws, substantially assetforth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature;

in presence of two witnesses. cal channels in one of their sides, upper and ANDREW J. LAURENT.

WVitn'csses:

M. MA'Y DAVIS, H. S. THOMPSON. 

